Norwegian Buhund Dog Breed Information

The Norwegian Buhund is a Viking-era spitz herder from Norway, one of the oldest working farm dogs in Europe and rare enough in NZ that most owners go years without meeting another. The breed combines moderate working drive, friendly disposition and a weatherproof double coat in a compact 12 to 18 kg frame, and suits cool-region NZ lifestyle blocks and active families looking for a smaller working dog without the daily intensity of a Border Collie or Belgian Malinois.

Skeletons of dogs of similar size and conformation have been found in Viking burial sites dating to around 900 AD, where dogs were buried alongside their owners to accompany them in the afterlife. The breed name comes from the Norwegian “bu” (homestead or livestock) and “hund” (dog), reflecting its all-purpose role on Norwegian farms: herding sheep and cattle, guarding the homestead, and keeping vermin in check.

Adults stand 41 to 47 cm at the shoulder and weigh 12 to 18 kg, with bitches noticeably smaller than dogs. The double coat is medium length, dense and weather-resistant, with a slightly longer ruff and tail plume. Colours run wheaten (the most common), cream and black. The expression is open, alert and friendly; ears prick high; the tail curls in the typical spitz manner over the back.

Personality and behaviour

Buhunds are friendly and sociable with family and household, alert without being instantly hostile to visitors, and generally good with other dogs. They bond closely to their handler and household and treat regular visitors as friends, although they are quicker to alert and reserve judgement on strangers than the Finnish Lapphund or Icelandic Sheepdog. With other dogs they are typically civil and confident; same-sex aggression can show up between adult Buhunds and is worth managing in multi-dog homes.

The defining trait is the working spitz mind: independent, intelligent, easily bored. A Buhund picks up new behaviours fast and disengages just as fast if the same exercise is drilled three times in a row. NZ trainers familiar with the breed describe Buhund obedience as “five clean repetitions then ten increasingly creative ones” and recommend short, varied sessions over long structured drills.

The trait that surprises new owners is the voice. Buhunds bark, and they were bred to. The Norwegian farm dog alerted to stock movement, intruders and predators, and the modern pet Buhund carries that voice into household life: alerting on visitors, vocalising during play and “talking” at family in conversation. The bark is sharp and clear. Households on a small section with neighbours close by need to manage barking from puppyhood.

Energy is moderate-high by working-spitz standards. A Buhund will happily walk, play and train for one to two hours a day across the day, then settle. They are not the on-tap intensity of a Border Collie or working Kelpie, but they are noticeably more active than a Lapphund.

Care and exercise

Plan on 75 minutes of daily exercise. A structured walk plus free play covers most adult Buhunds, supplemented by training, agility or herding sessions a few times a week. The breed enjoys hill walks, swimming in cool water, and snow if you can find any (Cardrona, Tongariro, Ohau in winter are the breed’s idea of a good day out). Off-lead recall in open spaces needs early training because the herding instinct kicks in around stock and moving targets.

The double coat is the easiest part. Realistic grooming routine:

• Brush once or twice a week year-round with a slicker brush.
• Daily brushing through the seasonal coat blow in spring and autumn (two to three weeks each). Expect rubbish bags of undercoat.
• Bath every two to three months. Over-bathing strips coat oils.
• Trim nails every three to four weeks. Check ears weekly.

Coat clipping is discouraged. Shaving the coat disrupts the insulating airflow layer and rarely helps with heat. Pet trims for hygiene only are fine; full clips are not.

Heat is the genuine NZ-specific issue. The dense double coat is built for Norwegian winters and translates poorly to upper-North-Island summers. The breed handles cool, damp NZ weather without complaint, but humidity above 70% with daytime temperatures over 25C creates heat-stress risk. Walk early or late, never midday, and provide shaded indoor and outdoor space.

Training and household life

Buhunds are intelligent and biddable, with food and toy motivation that suits reward-based training. The breed is independent enough to test boundaries during adolescence (10 to 18 months) and bored quickly by repetitive drilling. NZ trainers familiar with the breed favour short, varied sessions, novel exercises week to week, and recall built early in safe spaces.

NZKC obedience, rally and agility clubs in main centres run group classes (NZ$120 to NZ$280 for a six to eight week course) which sort recall, lead manners and basic obedience. The breed competes successfully in NZ herding trials despite the small population.

Climate fit across New Zealand

• Auckland and Northland. The hardest fit in NZ. Heat and humidity push the breed beyond its comfort range for several months a year. Practical only with aircon, deep shade and disciplined limits on midday activity.
• Wellington. Excellent fit. Wind is no issue; the coat is built for it. Cool damp winters suit the breed.
• Christchurch and Canterbury. Excellent fit. Cold winters are a non-issue. Watch grass seeds in coat and paws after summer rural walks.
• Central Otago and Southland. The breed’s natural climate. Cold tolerance is exceptional.

Where to find a Norwegian Buhund in New Zealand

The breed is genuinely rare in NZ. Three paths, in order of typical preference.

1. Registered NZKC breeders. The Dogs NZ breeders directory lists only a handful of registered Buhund breeders. Most years there is no available litter nationwide. Expect a 18 to 36 month waitlist, NZ$2,500 to NZ$4,000 per puppy. Hip scores and von Willebrand DNA results should be available from breeding stock on request.
2. Imports from Australia or the UK. Buyers who cannot wait often import from Australian or UK breeders. Total landed cost (puppy, transport, MPI quarantine documentation, vet checks) runs NZ$6,000 to NZ$10,000.
3. Breed rescue and SPCA. Almost never. The NZ population is too small and the dogs are too tightly placed for rescue surrender to be common. Cross-bred spitz dogs (often Husky-cross) appear in rescue and are sometimes mis-identified as Buhunds.

What surprises new owners

The combination of friendly disposition with vocal habit, and how independent the breed remains underneath the family-dog exterior. A Buhund is a working spitz with a small frame, not a Lab in a fluffy coat. For households in the cooler half of NZ who can tolerate a vocal dog and are willing to wait a year or two for a litter, the temperament fit is genuinely good.